Winter weather and snow clearing reminders for Woodstock residents

With more snow in the forecast over the next few days, the City of Woodstock is sharing a few winter weather reminders for residents:

• Do not park on the street until after the snow has been cleared. This helps ensure plows can properly clear the road in one pass. Overnight parking restrictions are also in effect until March 31. Vehicles are not permitted to on city streets between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m.
• Give snowplows plenty of room as they may have to back up or need extra space on the road.
• Pile all snow from your driveway and sidewalks on your property. Do not push snow onto the road. Moving snow to the right of your property will help reduce the amount that piles up at the end of your driveway when the plow drives by.
• Property owners must clear the sidewalks around their property of both snow and ice within 24 hours of a snowfall. In cases where residents have obviously cleared curb-faced sidewalks but the plows have pushed snow back onto the sidewalk, Public Works staff will clear the snow once all roads have been plowed.
• On your garbage and recycling collection day, place garbage bags and recycling containers close to the road edge but in your driveway so that they don't interfere with snow removal or get lost in the snow drifts.
• Plan your day according to the weather. Please remember to give yourself extra time to get where you need to go and take into consideration delays that are common during the winter season.

“Woodstock and the surrounding areas have received a tremendous amount of snow over the past few weeks, and staff have been conducting winter control operations including plowing, salting and sanding 24/7. Right now, the biggest way residents can help is by not parking on the street so that our plows can fully clear the snow. And please remember, pushing or blowing snow onto the road can lead to charges under the Highway Traffic Act and creates extreme hazards for roadway users,” said Jeff Molenhuis, Director of Public Works.

During a snow event, plowing begins with major arterial roads, followed by major collector roads and industrial areas, local residential streets, and cul-de-sacs and dead-end streets. The City’s goal is to clear snow and ice as quickly as possible, however during heavy snow and ice storms, removal will take longer and it may not be possible to reach residential areas until after the storm has ended. For more information about snow clearing, visit www.cityofwoodstock.ca/snowremoval.

Weather-related updates and impacts to programs, services or facilities will shared on the City’s social media accounts and at www.cityofwoodstock.ca/stormupdates.